Un paso por delante
As simplicity rules, so does clarity. A research group at the Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA) in Catalonia is working on a new environmental label commissioned by the European Union. The aim is plain: provide buyers with concise information that can be grasped at a glance. Ralph Rosenbaum, who leads the team, explains that scientists from France, the Netherlands, and Germany are collaborating on this project. The label will inform consumers about the ecological footprint of foods from the moment of production through to disposal or repurposing. France is already signaling that it will adopt the scheme next year. In Spain, this is a topic under discussion as policymakers draft the national food strategy for the future, according to reports from this publication as part of the ongoing debate.
The drafting of this governmental plan, which began on July 22, ties into the European Union’s Strategic Agenda 2024-2029, agreed by EU heads of state and government on June 27. The plan highlights food sovereignty and centers on six areas: food safety, sustainability, rural revival, nutrition and health, innovation and technology, and consumption. The goal is to have a first draft ready by March 2025.
The new label will assess the varied impacts of food production on the climate. This includes the water used in production, effects on biodiversity, and soil degradation.
There are about twenty indicators being cross-referenced, says Rosenbaum, who hopes to present a harmonized framework in 2026 so that governments and the food industry can study and potentially agree on it by 2027.
A step ahead
France has moved ahead with Brussels. After three years of groundwork, the new eco-score label will roll out next year on a voluntary basis and could become mandatory in 2026. The French label looks at sixteen life cycle impact criteria, including climate change, resource depletion, water use, and eutrophication, paired with biodiversity preservation criteria such as agroecological infrastructure, crop diversity, and reproduction conditions, according to the French Ministry for Ecological Transition.
In Belgium, a major supermarket chain has also developed its own eco-label linked to customer loyalty cards. Shoppers who buy more green products earn more points. Meanwhile the German retailer Lidl is considering using an environmental mark for its store-brand products, following internal surveys showing consumer interest in environmental information about what they eat.